All I Want For Christmas
by Carnivalgirl
Summary: Fifth year Victoire is spending her Christmas Hogsmeade weekend with Ravenclaw's resident git, and Teddy is having none of it. As he tries to stop the date in time, he realises that Victoire is more than just a friend to him. TLVW. AU, as R&T are alive.
1. Contemplation

**A/N:** Merry Christmas, all! I've wanted to write this pairing for a long time, as well as some more Remus/Tonks AU (though not the main characters, they're both alive in this fic), and when the opportunity presented itself, I did! I aim to finish this by Christmas Day itself, though I won't make promises. I owe a lot to **Ainora** of Fiction Alley Park for the help with the plot, so thank you to her. Anyway, this A/N has gone on long enough…enjoy the story!

**Chapter One: Contemplation**

It was early December, and Hogwarts was getting Christmassy. First-years were singing 'Jingle Bells' in the Common Room, seventh years were guiltily enjoying Advent calendars, and the prospect of the last Hogsmeade weekend before Christmas was very, very exciting. For everyone, that is, except Ted Lupin. The sixth and seventh years, by social convention, were the years in which everyone who was anyone ought to be going out with someone, especially at Christmas. For someone like Ted, this should not have been the conundrum it was. He was a Metamorphmagus, a boy who could look like Hercules (without the bulging muscles) if he felt like it but usually didn't. If he fancied a girl, all he needed to do was pull a few mental strings and as if by magic, he was her ideal man. The trouble was, the girl he really wanted wasn't any old girl, and she knew him far too well to be impressed by any morph.

Victoire Weasley had been his friend for almost as long as he could remember. She was a year and a half younger than him, which had sometimes been a huge age gap when they were kids, and at Hogwarts they had been sorted into different houses, but he still felt…a connection to her. They had always had a lot in common; one of his favourite memories was digging in the Burrow back garden with her when they were children and finding all kinds of worms and lice to put in a bucket. They had then taken it into their parents; Fleur had screamed, Bill had marvelled at how muddy they were, and his mum and dad had just laughed. Ted, who had been Teddy then, had felt a little guilty about upsetting Fleur, but Victoire had whispered to him; "Maman is afraid of creepy crawlies, which is a bit strange, because she's not afraid of the _ghoul _upstairs." There had been a thud above them, probably from Uncle Arthur experimenting, and a new adventure had begun.

These days Victoire was miles from the creepy-crawling loving redhead whose company he had spent many hours in. She was a proper girl now, just like his sister had been a proper girl then and something to be distant from. Her hair- which was red, not ginger-was her crowning glory. Though she was only a fifth-year Gryffindor, to some people she may as well have been the Head Girl. She wore her shapeless Hogwarts uniform with style, grace and dignity. She may have been a Weasley child, but she was a Delacour teenager.

Their friendship these days was almost secret. They weren't in the same crowd any more; she was part of a gang of beautiful girls who were never there in the holidays because they spent every day shopping and who never went a day without a boyfriend. His friends were caring but adventurous people who'd be far more comfortable camping in a forest than they would at a fashion show. But the more different he began to feel they were, the sweeter it was to realise they weren't. And it came to pass that one snowy weekend he finally realised that he did not just like Victoire Weasley…he loved her.

Ted was in his last year at Hogwarts, but missed out a little on the thrills and spills of the famously numerous seventh-year free lessons as he was the Head Boy. His parents were very proud of him, so were his grandmother and his godfather. None of them, obviously, had made it to Head Boy or Head Girl, because then they would know that it was a very annoying job. Watering plants in the Greenhouses so Professor Sprout could mark essays…distributing warning letters about overdue books for Madam Pince…helping Hagrid when his back was playing up…Prefects who were either bored or frustrated by _their _menial jobs…dealing with first years, who always took point deductions seriously and either started crying or insisted that people from other houses got them too… All this when he could have been relaxing in the new Hufflepuff Common Room sofas (well, he did get a say in School Developments)! One fine Friday morning, which was really a very snowy one, he was actually able to do just this. Curled in an armchair beside the fire and in a procrastinating sort of mood about the homework, he decided to write to his parents about what he was doing for Christmas.

_Dear Mum and Dad,_

_Hope you're both doing well. Everything here is fine, apart from the weather, which is freezing. I am ridiculously busy with work and Head Boy duties but hopefully things'll slow down soon. We have had new furniture delivered which is ten times better than what they have in Gryffindor, as Liv has no doubt complained to you about. Of course you understand Mum, that we Hufflepuffs deserve the best. Anyway, I've decided to stay here for Christmas…_

"Hey, Ted." One of his friends had appeared. Wendolina "Wendy" Barbary was the daughter of Heathcote Barbary of the Weird Sisters and the actress Noreena St. John and the girlfriend of his close friend, Rupert Fanshaw. Like Victoire, she was in fifth year. Wendy wasn't a Metamorphmagus, but her hair was as colourful as one, and not only that, her parents had chosen her middle name, Nymphadora, after their war heroine fan who also happened to be Ted's mother. As such, she and he were good friends.

"How are you?" he asked.

"Urggh…" was her response. "So much work to do. I've got a Runes translation, six pages of Arithmancy, and I've just finished a Muggle Studies project with _Victoire Weasley."_

"Victoire's nice." Ted said, not liking the sneer in her voice.

"Yeah, sure, but she's a total…wait, you_ know_ her?"

"Um…her parents were friends with mine. Order of the Phoenix, you know. We kind of…grew up together."

Wendy's expression softened. "That's kinda sweet. If only you and she were still friends…you could have been childhood sweethearts."

We _are_ still friends, Ted thought miserably. Maybe it would have been nice if the two scruffy but potentially beautiful children of Order members had grown up and fallen in love, but this hadn't happened, and it wouldn't…

Wendy continued;

"She spent the whole time telling me about how Edgar's asked her to Hogsmeade."

"Edgar?"

"Yeah, you know. Edgar."

There was no real reason why he was asking this. Everyone knew Edgar Bones-Goldstein, sixth year hero of the Ravenclaw Quidditch team. Ravenclaws were never known for their sports skills until he had appeared; he was a perfect combination of academia and sportsmanship. Not only that, _he_ didn't need to screw up his face and pull any mental strings for his good looks. He was well known for being infatuated with himself, but this was apparently no longer the case.

Wendy shrugged and said; "It was inevitable, if you ask me. He's beautiful, she's beautiful. They're both in love with themselves. Match made in heaven."

Ted's facial expression remained uncharacteristically blank, and some small voice inside his head said; _"Quite a rival you have there."_

_Rival? _Did he fancy Victoire? Of course he did, she was gorgeous. Every male in Hogwarts did. But she was more to him than she was to other people. She was like…not a sister. Olivia was the only sister he'd ever needed. Not a cousin. His parents were only children but James, Albus and Lily fitted all his cousinly needs. But he was the one who knew her best, her oldest friend. No one could have what he had with her. He began to think of Edgar, whom he had once tolerated but was rapidly turning into a despicable human being in his mind. His confident smile had become a cocky one, his victories against Hufflepuff not square but completely unfair and undeserved. Why, he was probably drinking Tonic of Fortitude on the sly…

"So…you…_are _staying for Christmas?" Wendy asked exasperatedly. He blinked; her hand was waving in front of his face. He'd gone on a bit of a mental tangent there, but she had provided a useful distraction. As she got out her Arithmancy, he wrote what he had told her to his parents.

…_because I won't get another opportunity to have a Hogwarts Christmas, and I'd like to stay with my friends. Liv should be coming home; she always does, so you won't be alone._

_If Gran and all the others are asking what I would like, tell them I'd like a new book (don't care what genre or author-surprise me) or records. I'm always very willing to accept any form of gift voucher (as long as it's for a decent shop-please, no more for Madam Malkin's!) sweets, or money. I really don't want any socks, I have quite enough. If you should come by a large amount of money in the near future (no pressure), a new broom or some concert tickets would be amazing. _

_I'll probably write again soon to wish you a Merry Christmas, as well as send presents, so for now, adieu. _

_Ted_

The reassurance wasn't necessary; Remus and Nymphadora Lupin had loved their own Hogwarts Christmases and were never unhappy when Ted chose to spend it there instead of with them, though they would politely ask if he could come home for Easter. His younger sister, Olivia, always had to have Christmas at home, which to him seemed a bit wimpy, not to mention a waste of an opportunity. Of course he would definitely come home for Easter; he had been born around that event nearly eighteen years ago, and coming from a sweet-toothed family it was a meaningful and enjoyable experience for them all.

The thought of Easter, chocolates and other sweet things brought the topic of Victoire back to Ted's mind after his brief distraction.

"I don't suppose you know where Edgar's taking her, do you?" he asked Wendy, who was deep in her work.

"Yeah. They're doing a little bit of Christmas shopping for their families, then going for chocolate at Les Tentations Divines."

His great-aunt's café. Edgar Bones-Goldstein, Ravenclaw's resident git, was taking _his_ friend to _his_ great-aunt's café. That was not on, and Ted had twenty-four hours to put it off.


	2. Distraction

**A/N:** Thank yous and virtual mince pies to all readers and reviewers! Having an English Literature moment here! Over the years, I've studied 'To Kill a Mockingbird', 'Frankenstein' and 'King Lear', where I got Edgar's Edmund from.

**Chapter Two: Interruption**

Over the years, Ted had noticed that many of the teachers became more relaxed around Christmas. It may have been the end of term and a deadline for them to finish whatever they wanted to do in it, but it was also a rather happy and _magical _time of year. Unfortunately, not all of the teachers shared this view. In the midst of his plans to interrupt Victoire's date, he got a shocking reminder from his friend Rupert.

"Have you prepared for the Muggle Studies essay?"

"…What Muggle Studies essay?"

"The one which we're writing in class this lesson, under exam conditions. Got to be at least three rolls of parchment. We were told to revise last week. Sound familiar?"

Ted winced. He was normally quite organised about these things, but sometimes things slipped under the radar.

"Is it about their music?"

"No."

"Damn." Ted said. "I could get full marks on that."

Rupert laughed. "I think there may be a question or two on it in the exam, but that's it. This is a Muggle Literature essay. Ted, my good man, have you actually read any Muggle books?"

"Rupert, my dear fellow, I have. My mum used to read me 'The House at Pooh Corner' when I was a kid."

"The house at _what_ corner?"

"Never mind. I've also read 'To Kill a Mockingbird' and 'Frankenstein', which were actually on the list."

"I'm about halfway through 'Great Expectations', and that's it. I should have known better than to think you were unprepared."

"I_ am_ unprepared. Let's revise."

The boys revised solidly for the next forty minutes, and were able to write reasonable essays on '_Describe a Muggle novel you have read from the list. Which themes does it explore and how are these relevant in Muggle society?_' It was a worthy distraction, but as soon as his aching hand let go of the quill, Ted's mind drifted straight back to Victoire, and remained only on her throughout break and the Herbology lesson he had after; Professor Longbottom had a bad cold and so only quietly supervised them while they made notes. At lunch time, he spotted her with Edgar for the first time, reluctantly letting go of his hand as he went to the Ravenclaw table and her to Gryffindor. At Hufflepuff, Ted stabbed his baked potato in frustration and ate in silence.

The rest of Friday was largely packed with lessons and homework in the afternoon, though Ted was rather distracted by plans to swerve Victoire away from Edgar. Perhaps he could hang around Professor Longbottom and catch flu, and Victoire would have to stay behind to keep her best friend company. Except a seventeen-year-old boy with flu was not truly in need of a girl to hold his hand, and Victoire would probably ignore him anyway. Perhaps he could dig up some dirt about Edgar; he had a brother in Slytherin, Edmund, who had more of a grudge against him than anyone. There had to be a reason for that.

These were the thoughts running through Ted's mind as he headed for the Owlery to owl his parents. Climbing the staircases towards the West Tower, he spotted his sister heading in the opposite direction along with her Gryffindor friends. He hoped to slip past her without starting up a conversation, as he was eager not to waste more time, but this was impossible with today's bright yellow hair and besides, Olivia wanted a chat.

The staircases moved, and the siblings faced each other. One or two people at school had once said that if they had never seen Ted and Olivia with their parents on Platform 9 ¾, they would never think they were brother and sister even if they did have the same surname. While Ted was as tall and skinny as their dad, Olivia was petite like their mother and more inclined to put on weight without the exercise of being an Auror. Ted's hair was ever-changing even if he never went for pink, while Olivia's was plain light brown. His natural nose and mouth were small, her nose was slightly too big. But despite all physical contrast, they were both very intelligent and frequently stubborn.

"Are you staying here for Christmas?" she asked, her dark blue eyes blazing.

"Yes. Is that a problem?" he asked.

"It certainly is. I can't believe you're choosing to hang out with friends over spending some time with your family."

Ted rolled his eyes. "Must we go through this every year? This is my last chance for a Hogwarts Christmas, and Mum and Dad don't mind me staying. They, unlike you, didn't get homesick every year and tried it, so they know it's a lot of fun." He said this in his most annoying big brother voice, but knowing that his actions offended his sister, became a bit nicer; "I'm not going to spend Easter here. I _do like_ spending time with you all. Honestly. I'm not forgetting you."

"Ted," Olivia snarled "have you not realised what December the 25th is?

"Oh, here we go…"

"It's a full moon!"

Ted blinked, several times. This he had not been aware of. "Really?"

"_Yes_. Poor Dad… Oh, well, I guess it doesn't matter to you."

He may have looked more like her, but Olivia was uncannily like their mother when she wanted to be. Ted remembered the countless times when he and Olivia had been told off and guilt-tripped into being unnaturally quiet by their mother, Dora, because their '_poor father'_ was trying to sleep. Remus Lupin would actually often hear his wife's shouting above any noise the children made, but that was not the point.

"Alright. I'll reconsider it. See you in Hogsmeade tomorrow."

Olivia beamed. "See you."

The rest of Friday was largely spent playing card games with Rupert, Wendy, and the rest of the gang. Hufflepuffs were especially diligent about keeping to their common room at night, even if it was Friday and they were up until half past twelve.

"Those Slytherins are awful. I can't believe they laughed at Hagrid for tripping over."

"Did he hurt himself?"

"Yeah. Not much, he's alright. But it seems you'll be mucking out Thestrals again tomorrow, Ted."

"You'd think mostly invisible horses would have invisible…"

"Ewwww…."

Staying up late, as Ted was always being reminded by 'morning people' like his mum and Rupert, usually had the consequence of waking up too late. He was horrified, in the morning, to find that staying up playing cards meant he had to have cold scrambled eggs, toast and bacon for breakfast in a hall where most other people had already eaten, including Victoire. Ted was even more determined to find her and talk to her. He was not quite sure what he would do…remind her that her boyfriend was a git, he supposed. And somehow persuade her that she was wrong to go out with him, that she should be going out with someone else, like…

However, he did indeed have to help Hagrid, who was in a bath chair after injuring his foot yesterday. He liked Ted as he had liked Harry, and would often talk to him about the people they both knew. It made Ted feel guilty again about not going home for Christmas, as Albus and Lily were very fond of him and would be most disappointed not to have their annual Gobstones tournament with him at the Burrow. Not to mention his parents and Olivia…maybe they would feel a bit incomplete without him. But the lure of having another luxury Christmas dinner, and another New Year on the rooftops with a feast from Honeydukes' cellar was sorely tempting, even when facing the horrific stench of Thestral muck.

On his way to Victoire, having changed into a clean and fresh-smelling uniform, Ted hoped no more Head Boy duties would interrupt him. Numerous Hogsmeade weekends in seventh year had been spoilt by various obligations, including homework. There was Sunday for most things, but not for her. His imagination was already beginning to form images of her in the corner table of Tentations Divines with a huge mug of hot chocolate, laughing with _him _at her moustache of whipped cream and giving him a kiss so he had one too. Ted shook the image out of his mind, not quite realising that his dislike of it wasn't the same as his dislike of seeing Rupert canoodling in public with Wendy.

As he made his way to the small courtyard Victoire liked to sit around in with her friends, something that was quite the opposite of canoodling caught his eye. Two years of being a Prefect and the inheritance of a werewolf's hearing and a Marauder's instinct had given him a sixth sense for trouble. A crowd of students, most probably second or first years, were gathered close to the Defence against the Dark Arts classroom (Professor Kremm was probably in her office), watching yet another heated Gryffindor-Slytherin argument.

"You think you're so brave, Weasley!"

Edmund Bones-Goldstein, younger brother of Edgar, faced Fred Weasley, son of George and Verity Weasley.

"That's rich coming from you, Bones-Goldstein! All you can do is a _Jelly Legs_!"

Though Ted had met Fred many times and liked him, the kid was definitely asking for it when he was flopped down to his knees by the aforementioned curse.

"He who laughs last laughs most!" Edmund said with amused contempt.

"_Expelliarmus_!"

If Ted had a Knut for every time a kid used that spell in a duel, he could buy his own Hogwarts House. He stepped in with some weary authority between the two boys, one who was flapping on the floor like a fish out of water and the other who was threatening the others to give him his wand (which had fallen behind him).

"No magic in the corridors, especially duels! You've been warned before, both of you, so a point from both your houses. Bones-Goldstein, pick up your wand before you step on it." Edmund turned and picked up his wand, pink rising in his cheeks, while Ted restored Fred's legs to their natural rigidity. The other students were starting to drift off, though a few lingered.

"Don't you have homework to be done?" Ted asked them, though feeling a touch of hypocrisy when he thought of the Care of Magical Creatures project he was putting off for Sunday. He was also secretly hoping to 'have a word' with Edmund about Edgar…nothing too serious, just _why_ the poor little second year was harbouring such an intense grudge. Unfortunately, one of Fred and Edmund's audience members fancied 'a word' with…

"Teddy!" James Potter cried cheerfully. Ted winced at his old nickname; he'd been called it throughout his childhood, and Harry, being annoying, had never gotten used to 'Ted'; as such, neither had his children. Fred, and Edmund, scurried away in opposite directions.

"What is it, Jim?"

"I'm James, Teddy." The boy replied, as if he thought Ted had forgotten who he was.

Ted grumbled. "What is it, _James_?"

A cheeky grin came over James's face, and he dug into his pocket and produced a very old piece of parchment.

"Do you know what this is?"

"The Marauders' Map." Harry, rather annoyingly, had planned not to give it to anyone, but James had obviously snuck it out somehow.

"Will you show me how it works?"

"Won't Messrs. Moony, Wormtail, Padfoot and Prongs show you? They're usually quite friendly to people with their surnames." Ted advised, remembering a time when he was five and Mr Moony had congratulated him on "_that fantastic surname_."

"No."

"_Fine_. Just place your wand on it and say 'I solemnly swear that I am up to no good'. I am seriously surprised Harry never told you."

"I think Mum wants me to set a good example and behave."

"She's right. Don't break any rules."

James raised one eyebrow and grinned. "Whatever you say, _Head Boy_."

It was eleven forty-five. Fifteen minutes until everyone in third year and above was released into Hogsmeade. Ted cursed himself for being distracted once again, and for inadvertently telling a student how to get into trouble when he should really be doing the opposite. But fifteen minutes was plenty of time, and he was very nearly at the courtyard now. Surely nothing else could possibly…

"Ted Lupin!"

A house elf had Apparated in front of him. Ted had to grind to a sudden halt not to step on him, or her. The elf had a large grin on his or her face.

"Will Mr Ted Lupin please come to the office?"

"What for?" Ted said, with frustration.

"Mr Ted Lupin has won a prize in the Christmas Raffle."

"Can't I come and collect it later?" he protested. The house elf's smile widened.

"It is a box of strawberry Chocoballs, sir. Perhaps if Mr Ted Lupin is taking a girl to Hogsmeade, she will appreciate this as a gift."

Of course! Victoire adored Chocoballs-the Weasleys used to hang foil-covered ones on their tree, but found that only the foil remained if they left Victoire in the room with them. Nowadays she was a bit more grown-up about it, but a bit of nostalgia was always fun…

There were only fifteen minutes, however. Ted looked at the house elf in front of him. Would it be morally wrong to ask the house elf to Apparate and get the present for him? He was Head Boy, after all. Though an image of an angry Hermione appeared in his mind immediately, he asked the house elf to get the present, not forgetting to add 'please'.

In no time at all, he was finally approaching Victoire. He could see her long red hair from a distance, and hear her laughter. He felt his hands sweating, and not because of his gloves. Taking a deep breath, he took the pink box in both hands and prepared to present it to her.

She turned, and waved. He waved back, feeling happier and more successful than he had all day, until he saw in her eyes that she was not looking at him. Edgar streaked past him towards her, and they embraced. He lifted her slightly off the ground, and she squealed.

"Edgar!"

"Sorry I'm late; I won a prize in the raffle and had to go to the office."

Ted suddenly felt incredibly guilty for sending the house elf, not to mention annoyed. What had Edgar got for her?

"Golden Snitch's World Class Assortment." he said, proudly. "I knew instantly that I wanted you to have them, though don't think it's your only present! They've got all the flavours in there, and they were all individually crafted by Belgian goblins."

Ted growled inwardly. Edgar hadn't even bought them, but Victoire's eyes still lit up, just as they used to when he and her played together as children. Her face burst into a radiant smile and she enveloped Edgar into a hug and a passionate snog. People around them whooped and whistled.

Ted was on time, but it was far too late. The Chocoballs would have to be Olivia's Christmas present…he should have known they were not good enough for Victoire. He slipped them into his bag, but had an urge to leave them in the snow for some luckier bloke to find. Somehow, now more than ever, it seemed like memories of Chocoballs at Christmas were all he had left of her.

Rupert and Wendy appeared, arm in arm. Their warm smiles faded a little when they saw the dejected look on Ted's face. Wendy poked his arm as she asked him what was wrong, while Rupert, knowing him better, followed his gaze to see Victoire almost dancing out of the castle with Edgar.

"She wasn't that great a friend anyway." he said to Ted.

Ted felt a little offended by this, but then admitted; "No, you're right. Either she's not what I want her to be or I'm not what she wants me to be. Either way…our relationship is over."

Wendy wrapped her warm arms around him in a friendly hug, while Rupert gave him a sympathetic look. Ted gave them a nod of thanks and stepped away.

"You guys won't want me being a gooseberry around you all afternoon, so I'll just go off on my own. Don't worry, I don't care."

He stuck his hands in his pockets and walked towards Hogsmeade. He didn't want to stay at Hogwarts any more, not now and certainly not for Christmas.

**A/N:** This chapter is not the end, so don't feel down! Edgar's not as perfect as he seems…


	3. Resolution

**A/N:** I guess Sirius's 'God Rest Ye Merry Hippogriffs' inspired me. 'Dragons from the Realms of Glory' comes from 'Angels from the Realms of Glory'. (No, I've never heard of it either). And if the Queen lives as long as her mother (101) she'll still be Queen in 2015. Poor old Prince Charles. The Christmas Remus is referring to is the one in HBP, which has also been floating around in my head lately. Also…forgive the last line. ;)

**Chapter Three: Resolution**

The Lupin family were having a lovely Christmas. Every year, they would spend the morning and afternoon at home, with Andromeda coming over, and then would usually go to Molly and Arthur's Christmas party. Ted spent most of the morning absorbed in the trilogy of murder mystery novels his parents had given him, whilst wearing the dress robes his gran had bought him to wear for graduation in the summer. His dad and gran were in the kitchen cooking Christmas dinner, Olivia listened to the wireless Christmas play and Mum admired the necklace Dad had got her in the mirror.

"I don't get why these are always so gruesome." Ted said. "Do people like horrible things on Christmas Day?"

"Apparently they do." Mum said, "Last year, when Thingy got pushed off a cliff, I think half a million people listened."

Ted laughed in recollection. It was wrong, but he could hardly take 'being pushed off a cliff' seriously when it was in a radio play.

"That was so sad…" Olivia said quietly.

Christmas dinner was, as usual, perfect. This year, they were trying some new Muggle thing called 'crackers'. The toys inside were to be expected from Muggles, but Ted thought he looked rather fetching in a bright orange paper hat. He and Olivia also discovered what a strange sense of humour their family had.

"What did the policeman (that's a Muggle Auror, I think) say to the stomach?"

"I don't know!"

"You're under a vest!"

Mum, Dad and Gran all laughed. Ted and Olivia groaned and drank some more Butterbeer. Shortly after that, the Queen's speech came on the wireless.

"What does the Muggle Queen do?" Ted asked his dad.

"Er…Queen sort of things. Visiting foreign nations, opening buildings, posing for pictures, and, of course, making speeches to her people. Not bad for someone who's about ninety."

"Are we really her people, seeing as she doesn't know we exist?" Mum asked. Gran shushed her.

"Of course we are, that's why they broadcast it on the wireless. She is a very prominent Muggle and one worthy of our deepest respect."

The adults were silent as the Queen went on. Ted leaned across to Olivia and whispered to her;

"Will you be singing 'God Rest Ye Merry Hippogriffs' for Gran today like you used to?"

"Only if you sing it with me." She told him, and he grinned.

"Come on then…_God rest ye merry hippogriffs, let nothing you dismay_…"

This distracted Mum, who sang with them, and before long, everyone was singing.

"_Oh, tidings of ferrets and mice, ferrets and mice, oh tidings of ferrets and mice_!"

"OK, how about; _Dragons from the realms of glory…_"

"_Wing your flight o'er the earth…"_

There is always something of a lull on Christmas afternoons. Ted, after helping Gran wash up (it was the same every year-she insisted on doing it, even if she was the guest of the house-probably just didn't want Mum to do it) came in to the living room to find his parents slumped in the chairs while Olivia was hidden behind her new easel and board. As the afternoon progressed, his dad was beginning to feel more ill, and looked rather peaky. Perhaps the red Santa hat was draining him.

"Hello, Dad, Mum, Liv." He said. While Dad and Olivia greeted him, Mum did not respond. Ted turned to look at her; she was fast asleep and her mouth was wide open. Her bright blue paper hat covered one of her eyes, exposed the red and green hair her son had as well. He smirked. "Has someone taken a picture of this?"

"Too much turkey, I think." Dad said, looking at her with a smile.

"You feeling alright?" Ted asked.

"I've been worse." He replied cheerfully, though sounding slightly tired. "Are you alright? You've been quiet today. Do you miss Hogwarts?"

Ted was sharply reminded of Victoire and Edgar. What were they doing right now? "…I'm fine, I just…" Perhaps it was because it was Christmas, but Ted was struck with the urge to open up his troubles. "Victoire's got this boyfriend she's spending Christmas with. He's a git, but…at the same time, not a git. She seems to like him a lot. I don't know why I'm so upset about it, I guess I just…"

"Would rather you were in his place?" Dad said.

Ted hesitated a moment, then said; "Yeah. Yeah, that's it."

"Well…you have three options. A, you sabotage the relationship and take her for yourself. We'll call this the Sirius Black approach; because he's the only person I knew who managed it without getting _severely_ hexed. Then you have Option B; you give up. We'll call this the Remus Lupin approach; because it's the kind of thing I would have done in your situation. Finally, we have Option C; you wait. The relationship won't last forever, and when it eventually ends will be your time. We'll call this the Nymphadora Tonks approach. I may not have been with another woman when she fell in love with me, but for reasons I won't go into, your mother is an extraordinarily patient woman."

Ted looked over at Mum. She was hardly in the most dignified position, but he had always known that she had a heart of gold-an incorruptible substance as well as a precious one. He decided, though reluctantly, that her approach was the best one.

Suddenly, there was an exceptionally loud squawk from upstairs. Mum woke with a start.

"What in the name of turkey was that?!" Olivia and Dad burst out laughing. Ted recognised the sound.

"It's Thunderbird, Rupert's owl." Ted said. Thunderbird, or Thunder for short, was so called because he was the noisiest owl in the school, though he was more commonly known as 'that bloody bird'. Ted headed upstairs, hearing his family converse behind him.

"My mouth wasn't wide open just now, was it?"

"Oh no, no."

Thunderbird was hopping around outside Ted's window. Looking at the angry expression on his own owl, Hibou, Mum wasn't the only one Thunder had woken up. He let the bird in. Thunder had, unsurprisingly, brought a letter from Rupert.

_Dear Ted,_

_Merry Christmas!! I hope you're having a great day at home with your parents and sister. Did you get the Hobgoblins album you wanted? If not, I did, so you can listen to it here. I normally give Thunder a break on Christmas Day, but I have some news that I am sure will interest you._

_You may remember that last year some girls from Beauxbatons came over for an exchange. You probably don't know much of the specifics as it was in the year below, but a rumour went around that, nine months after the Beauxbatons girls went home, one of them had a baby. I'm not sure how the story got ressurected (probably someone's penpal or something) but it turns out it's true, her name was Genevieve. Now, which Hogwarts boy was particularly close to Genevieve during her exchange?_

_That's right, you guessed it. The whole school, or at least everyone who's here, knows now, so Edgar didn't bother denying it. Victoire was pretty shocked, but being a forgiving sort of person, she wasn't going to dump him if all he did was make a mistake. So, first of all, she asked him the obvious question; did Genevieve keep her baby (so he would know where it was, and send it presents and so forth) or did she put it up for adoption? According to Wendy, Edgar didn't know, and didn't seem to care that he didn't know. Thoughtful, eh?_

_So, needless to say, Victoire is single again this Christmas, and alone. Perhaps she needs an old friend? Nudge, nudge!_

_Merry Christmas,_

_Rupert_

"Poor Victoire. Poor Genevieve, as well." Dad said, as Ted showed them all the letter.

"I know. What shall I write to her-Victoire?"

"Don't write her a letter." His dad advised. "I wrote your mother a letter one Christmas. Judging by her response, I think she'd much rather have seen me."

"Well, how am I supposed to see her? I can't get to Hogwarts."

Dad ignored him. He seemed deep in thought for a moment, and then said. "Ah, but Hogsmeade will be open, it being a village."

"Victoire couldn't get there. James has gone home to his parents, and probably taken his Invisibility Cloak with him."

"You're thinking strategically, Ted, but not in the right direction. You know the ins and outs of Hogwarts pretty well. There's more than one way to get into Hogsmeade."

"The cellar of Honeydukes will have an Anti-Apparition charm on it, so I couldn't get in. They probably don't want to be burgled."

"Come on, Ted." Mum said, encouragingly. "Little building in Hogsmeade…you can get to it from Hogwarts...the _grounds_ of Hogwarts…"

"Do you know what they're talking about?" Gran asked Olivia, who shook her head.

"Ted," his dad said, looking him straight in the eyes. "Think; what is the one building in Hogsmeade, which is accessible from the grounds of Hogwarts, which wouldn't have an Anti-Apparition Charm on it because no one would want to go in it?"

The answer occurred to Ted immediately; "The Shrieking Shack! I'll get Victoire to meet me there!"

He leapt up, feeling a rush of excitement like a child on Christmas morning. Before he bolted up the stairs, he turned to his family and said; "Thank you!!"

Ted sent Thunderbird back to Hogwarts with a letter to Victoire, telling her the route to the Shreiking Shack and to meet him there that afternoon. She did not reply, but he decided to trust her and Apparated to Hogsmeade. It was freezing cold there; his dress robes really were meant for June. He ran towards the tumbledown building, and focused on it. A split second later, he appeared inside. She was already there.

"Hey, Ted." she said, softly. "Merry Christmas."

"Merry Christmas." He grinned. She leant forward and gave him a friendly hug. "It's nice of you to come and see me. I…"

"I know about the Edgar thing." he said. "Rupert told me."

She broke apart from him and sighed heavily. "Merlin, that was so awful. I mean I was shocked, of course, but I was only really upset when I found out that he hasn't even bothered to find out about the baby. I thought he was so _nice_, I still can't really believe it..." Her eyes fell to the dusty wooden floor. Her hands fiddled with the ends of her gold and red scarf nervously.

Though he wasn't sure he wanted to hear the answer, Ted asked out of sympathy; "Did you love him?"

She looked up sharply and immediately said; "No. No, I wasn't in love with him. I was fond of him, and thought that maybe after a while I would love him, but now that he's revealed himself to be a complete and utter…well, fill in the blank, I guess I was wrong. And I'm glad you've come, Ted, because if this hadn't happened, I wouldn't have realised that…"

She paused. Her pale cheeks turned a little red in the cold. Ted's fingers twitched; was something miraculous happening?

"Realised what?"

"Forget I said anything." She said, sounding a little nervous. "I'm just really glad you're here, Teddy…Ted, sorry. I mean, it's Christmas, you're my best friend. What else could a girl want?" Her smile may have been shaky, but Ted felt a festive confidence boost.

"I'm glad to see you too, Victoire, because if this hadn't happened, I would never have realised that you truly are more than just a best friend to me."

Her blue eyes widened, but apart from this her face was momentarily expressionless. Ted was suddenly afraid that he had gotten everything wrong, and he had just brought on a terrible finale to his own Christmas.

"Teddy…you don't know how long I've hoped you'd say that some day. I had all but given up!" She laughed, and her red hair shimmered. It suddenly seemed very warm in the drafty Shrieking Shack.

"That is _not_ a good option. Patience, Victoire, is an incredible virtue."

She wrapped her arms around him. "Well, now that we've both had our turn of waiting…I guess it's time for a conclusion. Did you bring any mistletoe?"

"No. How silly of…" Before he could say 'me' Victoire's lips were over his. He closed his eyes and tightened his hold on her, and it was as if all the Christmases of his life so far had lead up to this moment. Though the kiss was as good as any other, the age-long anticipation had made it extra wonderful. Feeling her hands reach for his hair, he was about to deepen the kiss when she broke apart.

"Ted, can I ask you something?"

"What?"

"Why are you wearing paper on your head?"

He laughed. "Oh, crackers. A Muggle thing."

"They look odd with your fancy new robes." She said, her fingers smoothing over the folds of his jacket. "But I like that. It's…you."

And it was her, as well. Him and her, at last. After what seemed like only a few minutes of celebration, Ted noticed his watch glowing out of the corner of his eye. It was dark outside all of a sudden.

"Shoot. Your granny's party's starting in half an hour. I'd better head home."

She gave a reluctant but rather alluring groan. "Oh, _fine_. I'd better head back to school as well. One last kiss?"

Wanting to give the event a spectacular finish, he dipped her slightly as they kissed one more time.

"See you at New Year?" he said, before Apparating.

"See you _tomorrow_." She told him with a curl in her lips, and he laughed and blew her a kiss before Apparating to the outside of his home. When he went in, he saw Mum and Olivia finishing a game of cards.

"Where's Dad?"

"The utility room. The moon has already risen...he's just going to sleep through it." Mum said, a little sadly. "We'll be off to the Burrow soon."

"Sure." Ted said. He felt sorry for Dad, but nothing could spoil his good mood. He put his hand in the air.

"Would you mind…a high-five?"

Mum and Olivia did so with smiles, but then asked; "Why?"

Grinning wolfishly from ear-to-ear, Ted said; "Let's just say I…pulled a Christmas cracker."

**A/N:** I promised a happy ending! I hope you've enjoyed getting to it. **Merry Christmas!** I hope you all have a spectacular time and get exactly what you desire, especially if, like Ted and Victoire, you've wanted it for a very long time. Thank you again for reading, and for reviewing if you have, or will. Virtual Christmas crackers for everyone!


End file.
